Wet centrifugal compressor



l. W. E. ELLING.

WET CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 61 1920.

Patented Jui 19, 1921.

JENS WILLIAHJEGIDIUS. ELLING, 0F CHRISTIANIA,

NORWAY, ASSIGNOR T0 A/S MYRENS VERKSTED, 0F CHRISTIAN IA, NORWAY.

WET CENTRIFUGAL comransson.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1 9, 1921.

Application filed March 6, 1920. Serial No. 363,671.

To all whom it 11mg; concern lie it known that I, JnNs IVILLIAM ZEem- IUs .lGLmxo, a subject of the King of Norway, residing at Christiania, Norway, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vet Centrifugal Compressors, for which I have filed application in Norway, Application No. 1.5609, filed Feb. 11, 1919; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to centrifugal compressors of the kind in which the medium to be compressed, for instance steam or air, is mixed with a certain amount of water in order to increase the effect of the centrifugal force and obtain a high compression by means of a small number of sta es.

In order to obtain the best possible e ect with centrifugal complessors of this type the amount of water added to the medium to be compressed should be suflicient to pro duce a kind of foam, in which the medium to be compressed forms the bubbles. If too little water is added, the mixture will be more like a mist, in which the water forms small separate particles, whereby the desired effect is not obtained.

It will be understood that during the process of compression the volume of the compressible medium decreases while the volume of liquid remains unaltered, and accordingly if sufiicient liquid is added to the medium at the beginning of compression, there will be far too much liquid in the mixture when the compression process is finished. In this case obviously a large amount of work will be wasted in carrying the superfluous amount of liquid up to the high pressure.

In order to obviate this drawbacka certain amount of the liquid according to the pres sent invention added to the medium to be compressed is separated from the mixture after each stage of the compressing process and is returned to the beginning of the same sta e.

ecordingly there may be introduced into the compressor only the amount of liquid necessary in the last stage of the compressing process, while in other stages of the process the. further amount of liquid needed is kept circulating between the beginning and end of the said stage.

On the drawing is diagrammatically illustrated a part of a compressor built on the above mentioned principle.

1 is a mixing chamber, where the medium to be compressed enters through intake 10 and is mixed in the usual manner with water or a similar liquid from a separating chamber 2- above the mixing chamber 1. Water is added to the mixing chamber 2 through a supply pipe 9.

Above the outlet openings 3 of the separating chamber 2 there is located horizontal bafile plate 4 in order to give the water a radial movement toward the outlet and to prevent the escape of air from the separating chamber.

5 is the first rotorwheel of the centrifugal compressor. The mixture is pumped from this first stage of the compressor through pipe 6 up to the separating chamber 2 from which the medium to be compressed is conducted away through pipe 7 leading to the next rotmwheel 8 of the compressor. From this stage the mixture with its reduced volume of water may be pumped to a second compressor (not shown) like the first one, through a pipe 11, or the mixture may be blown into the atmosphere without influencing the function of the apparatus.

Claims:

1. The process of compressing a gaseous medium, which comprises adding to the medium before compression an amount of liquid, compressing the mixture, separating part of the liquid from the mixture after compression, and returning the separated liquid to the compressor.

2. The process of compressing a gaseous medium, which comprises adding to the medium before compression sufficient water to produce a foam, compressing the mixture, separating part of the added liquid from the mixture after compression, and returning the separated liquid to the compressor.

3. The process of facilitating the com' pression of a gaseous medium, which consists in introducing into the medium to be compressed before the first stage of compression an amount of liquid sufiicient for the last state of compression, and circulating a certain amount of liquid between the beginning and end of each stage of compression, whereby a sufficient amount of liquid in the mixture is maintained in the mixture at all stages of the process.

4. An apparatus for compressing a mixture of gas and liquid, comprising two compressor stages; a mixing chamber, a separating chamber, and means including the compressor stages whereby a certain amount of the liquid is separated from the mixture between the stages.

5. An apparatus for compressing a mixture of gas and liquid, comprising a mixing chamber, a separating chamber, means for compressing and conducting a mixture of gas and liquid from the mixing chamber to the separating chamber, and means for conducting a part of the liquid of the mixture from the separating chamber.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JENS WILLIAM IEGIDIUS ELLING.

Witnesses NATH. A. IIEDENSCHAN, S. IIAMPTON DnPUn. 

